


Colorful

by BethBoca



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2020-07-12 12:53:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19946488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BethBoca/pseuds/BethBoca
Summary: Soulmates aren't really a thing, right? That's what Ryan Haywood thought. That is, until he saw color.





	1. Chapter 1

Normal. That's how the days were now. Black and white since the day Ryan Haywood was born; yeah, that's normal now. He isn't the only one. He knows for sure he isn't. As he sat in his chair in the office he shared with five other men, he thought of when he'd get to see the world in color. He's read/heard about such a thing happening, but the myth was you had to find a soulmate first. He laughed mentally at the idea. Soulmates don't exist. He thought he found a soulmate years ago and yet he never saw color. No warm reds or yellows. No bright blues or greens; Just black and white.

"Ryan." His thoughts snap out at the sound of Geoff, his boss'/colleague's, voice.

"Hmm?" He hums, glancing to the man.

"Are you ready?" He clears his throat and nods. "Good. Go ahead and sync up." Ryan nods and does as told on his computer. As he does, he thinks of how lucky his co-workers are. He was the only one left to not see color. First it was Geoff. Then it was Jack. After that was Michael. Jeremy came in already seeing color. Before him was Ray, whom was alike with Ryan. Lastly, it was Gavin. He was jealous of his friends. They got to see the world in a whole new way. A way Ryan feared he'd never see... The main catch to the whole soulmate thing was that if they die, the color goes away. Then again, that was part of a myth to Ryan. All his life and not one speck of color while people younger than him found theirs.

"No, the Purple one, Ryan." Jeremy says before realizing his coworker had no idea what that color was. "Sorry..." Ryan shook his head.

"It's okay. It's not like it's on purpose." People often mistook Ryan as someone who could see color since he was older in age. Trevor, the man behind the main scenes, comes in with a pile of papers.

"Here's today's info sheets fellas." He slaps one paper down on each desk before returning back to the side office. Ryan knew Trevor never saw color yet as well but then again he was younger. Every now and then they would talk out their frustrations to each other about their predicament but other than that, Trevor and Ryan were coworkers on the same level. Ryan glances at his sheet and sees "New Hires" written on the top. There were six names with information beside them. Three men and three women. Burnie in the main office tried to keep the hire number even if he could. Hopefully one of them doesn't see color as well. He scanned over the information and saw that Burnie wrote down if they did see such a thing or not so the workers didn't make them upset or uncomfortable. They never separated color seers or black and white seers because they were no different in heart and skill; There was just no need for it. Two of the men saw colors along with one woman. So three of them were color blind as well... at least he wasn't alone in this. When he saw one woman was thirty-two and color blind he became slightly more curious. The rest of the ages were thirty exact or under. People who find a soulmate so quick are the ones who are lucky. Ryan turns his attention back to the monitors on his desk and waits for the new hires to get their tour.  
-  
There's a knock on the office door causing all the men to look up. Burnie steps into the room with the six new hires behind him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Achievement Hunter office." The people look around the room in awe. Ryan glances through everyone before standing with the rest of his co-workers. Geoff greets them first. Then it's Jack, Michael, and Jeremy; Gavin wasn't there to do so. Last was Ryan. He shook each hand before asking for names and introducing himself. He went done the line before getting to the second to last. He grabs the woman's hand and shakes it.

"Ryan." He informs her.

"Rose." She replies. Suddenly, Ryan's eyes twitch and he blinks a few times as they blur slightly. He releases the woman's hand before apologizing for something in his eye. He rubs at them before moving down the line to the last woman. She shakes his hand and compliments him on his shirt color. Ryan shakes his head.

"I can't see-" He pauses as he opens his eyes. "Color..." he squints at the woman who complimented him and sees specks of something unknown in her eyes and on her shirt. He ignores the strange items and backs away. Rose was rubbing at her eyes, making it seem strange to him as if she got something in hers as well.

"Alright, onto the back office." Burnie tells them. The men all retake their seats and Ryan slowly does the same. Geoff looks at him, smirking.

"What?" He questions his boss. The hires clear out of the room to the next one when Geoff speaks up. As he does, Ryan sees the same specks in Geoff's eyes as he did in the last girl.

"Eyes twitching?" He questions. Ryan nods. "Blurry vision?" Another nod. "Specks?" Ryan furrows his eyebrows.

"What are you getting at?"

"It's not what I'm getting at. It's what you're getting to do." He leans closer and has that same smile on his face. "You're starting to see color." Ryan stares at Geoff in disbelief.

"Pretty sure I just have something in my eye."

"You think that Rose girl did, too?" Ryan looks down to the paper Trevor gave them. Samantha, Allen, and Alexis and the only ones who saw color before. Rose didn't. "You won't see full colors for a few more days. Your eyes will fill out. For now, don't pressure your mind into seeing things. Relax." Geoff turns back to his monitor and smiles at it. No one else seemed to make the prediction Geoff did. They ignored it. Ryan watches his screens once more, continuing the game they were playing.

"Anyone know where the blue one is?" Jack asks, his character spinning around. Ryan squints when specks cover a certain square; Like a pattern nearly. He goes to it and looks at Geoff to tell them since he was unsure of if he was correct just yet. Geoff nods and tells Jack the answer while his character strays from the cube. Blue. That's what Ryan was seeing right now. The color blue. He was seeing color. And from what Geoff said, Rose was seeing them, too.


	2. Chapter 2

Yesterday, after Ryan returned home, he saw more blue and even spots of green, as Google informed him. He could see tones of those shades in other colors today. Shades of blue spotted the sky but didn't completely cover it because of the clouds that remained gray. The grass was a beautiful field of dark and light green. In cars he saw the simple Black, Gray, and White colors he saw once before but they were brighter and more vivid instead of dull. As he pulled up to the Rooster Teeth lot, he saw different shades lowly hiding in the cars parked around it. They weren't fully blue or green and he was aware of that, but he also came to recognize that they were part of the color that was the real one. It mixed with another to reveal the result. He smiled in glee at the discoveries he made. He steps out of his vehicle and locks it before walking towards the Achievement Hunter office. As soon as he enters, he gets a shot of electricity, seeing a different color on the carpet before him. He squinted at it and tilted his head, trying to remember the color he had heard it may be. It was either red or orange, he couldn't remember, but they were a warm tone instead of the cool he first saw. He nonetheless made his way to the office and smiled at his boss, the only man in the room for now.

"Hey, Ryan." Geoff says, eyeing him. "See any new ones?" He refers to colors immediately and Ryan shrugs.

"I see green now. I also see tones and shades of them." He tells him. "Hey, what color is our carpet in the hall?"

"A dark red. Why? You seeing that now, too?"

"A little, yeah." Geoff furrows his eyebrows.

"That's a little strange... You only see one color temperature, not two. One gets you started the other you finish with. Never have I heard of both..." He was more talking to himself, but Geoff's words reached Ryan.

"So do you think that's bad?"

"I'm not an expert so I can't say it isn't good," he informs his friend, "but that doesn't mean it's bad either." Ryan sighs and takes his seat.

"Who would I ask about this kind of thing?" Ryan mutters.

"You could ask her." His eyebrows furrow.

"Ask who?"

"Rose." Geoff says with an Are-You-An-Idiot tone. With an eyeroll, Ryan ignores him. Before either of the two can speak further, the door to the office opens to reveal Michael and Lindsay Jones.

"I'm just saying- green can be feminine just like pink." Michael argues.

"Its a neutral color. I know." Lindsay glanced to Ryan and gave a small smile while Michael just sighed and sat at his desk with no signal of greeting anyone in the room. Ryan squinted as he saw in both of their hairs a lighter color than the carpet outside. It was speckled in with the rest of the black and white colors in their locks. After a moment, he had to look away because of his eyes being in a strained pain. The other members of Achievement Hunter pile in not long after and Ryan notices the more red, blue and green colors in their lives.  
-  
About two hours had passed since the office started work. There was a light knock on the door and when it opened, in came the woman Rose. Ryan's heart skipped painfully and he choked on his Diet Coke. Geoff smirked at him and nudged him.

"Go get the papers." That was his way of saying "go talk to her". Ryan nodded and took his chance, walking towards Rose, whom smiled. His steps would've fumbled if he wasn't so focused. She was absolutely beautiful. He felt as though he had deja vú every time he even heard her name.

"Here's the view count for last week and then this week." Her voice was quiet and not too confident; it was definitely approachable. "We're up by fifty on our Minecraft videos, but we're down by seventy on our Grand Theft Auto Five videos." Ryan tried to listen to what she said but he was awestruck. Her hair had a really light red in it and it faded into a darker but still way lighter than regular red. Was that what Ombre was? He could see her mouth moving as she continued to talk to him and inform him about the ratings she gave him. For a moment, she stopped, and his eyes met hers. Green. They were green. Bright and warm with a lot of emotion hidden behind them. Right now, too much to dig into. Rose clears her throat.

"Sorry, I seem to have forgotten what else I was told to inform you."

"What color is your hair?" Ryan asks, accidentally but also purposefully ignoring her unneeded apology.

"It-it's pink." She admits. "That's what the box called it."

"And was it this color before or recently?" He squints as her hair and sees more of the color slowly appearing as if it was the background to a computer's screen saver. Rose shakes her head.

"It was brunette before, but I'm not sure which kind." She didn't sound happy. She sounded upset at the mention of her old hair.

"Its beautiful." Ryan says beyond his own control. His voice was very small and quiet. Rose's face darkened and she smiled.

"Thank you, sir." He nodded and she spun, leaving him standing there and holding the assignment she was made to do. Ryan returned to his seat. Geoff smirked while Ryan just glared at him.


	3. Chapter 3

It's been a few days. Colors were filling themselves in. Yellows, purples, and oranges were now freckling every other object while red, blue, and green were in their full forms. Ryan had noticed a difference in Rose. Instead of dull clothing, she was wearing bright colors and her hair was newly pink. Geoff may be right. It's not just coincidence that Rose is seeing all these colors at exactly the same time frame Ryan is. The fact that she had rubbed her eyes when he did. It was all too alike to be coincidence. He thought about asking her. He even pondered on maybe even telling her what he thought. Geoff was an awful wingman. He thought that embarrassment got the girl. Hell. No. If anything it gets the pity. Right now, they were all wrapping up a video filming just before the office's group lunch.

"So you gonna sit with her?" To his surprise, it wasnt Geoff to ask the question, but Jack. Ryan turned to look at the bearded man.

"I don't know." He admits lowly. "I guess that depends on her." Jack nods and stands from his chair with the rest of the men and Lindsay.

"I just know that you're gonna regret it if you wait too long." Jack sighs. "She-" he cuts off his sentence due to the office door opening suddenly. Rose stepped into the office, eyes on Ryan immediately.

"C-can I help you?" Ryan's voice cracked and he tried fixing it but the unexpected view of Rose caught his words. She quickly makes her way directly to Ryan without saying anything yet. "Are you okay?"

"Sit with me at lunch?" Her eyes were blue with speckles of green and they were filled with mixed emotions. The request took everyone by surprise. They all watched the two as Ryan cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah, definitely." When he answered positively, Rose only smiled and walked back out of the office. No one moved. "Did that just happen?" Ryan asks everyone who stared.

"Yeah that for sure happened." Alfredo says behind Ryan.

"She just took charge cause you wouldn't." Lindsay inputs while pulling on her shirt to straighten it. "I like her." Michael grabs his wife's hand and exits the room first. Next went Jeremy, Gavin, and Alfredo. Jack was almost out the door when he stopped to look at Ryan, who was just standing there in shock.

"You good?" Jack questions.

"That just happened..." So much for him making the first move. Well, honestly, it relieved him. Knowing he would have had to make the first move scared Ryan. He would have stuttered, sweated, and got way too nervous to even ask a simple question. As he stood from the chair, his eyes began to itch. Hands to his eyes, he rubs them. When he opens them again, there's a new mix of color he didn't know the name of. It was like a deep pink mixed with some kind of purple; The new color engulfed a scarf on the back of Lindsay's chair. Maybe Rose knew the color he was going on about. Ryan continued out the office and towards the break room. When he arrived, he saw a very nervous looking Rose bouncing her leg in her seat with a tray of untouched food in front of her.

"Hey!" Ryan greets with a hefty hand on his neck. "Glad you didn't chicken out." He knew the joke attempt was terrible, but it eased Rose immediately.

"I can't chicken out since I asked you to be here." Her voice faltered and Ryan noticed just how nervous she actually was.

"It's okay to be nervous." He tells her immediately. "I am too if I'm honest with you." Rose gives a relaxed smile and nods once in reassurance.

"Good..." Silence. "So can you see color suddenly, too?" Ryan doesn't hesitate to nod. "Oh thank god I thought it was just me." They share a shaky laugh.

"What colors are you seeing?" He questions in curiosity.

"Well, Google and others have told me that I see red, blue, green, purple, yellow, orange, and magenta." He furrows his brow.

"Magenta?" Ryan asks. "What's that one?"

"Its like a reddish purplish pink?" Rose didn't seem very confident in the color name but then again, it was new. Also, the name was strange to both of them.

"I just started seeing that one, too." Ryan informs her. Her eyes perk up to his and she let's off a small smile.

"That's awesome!" There was so much excitement in her voice. "You know, I studied this stuff for a while and it says that seeing both spectrums is nearly impossible unless the two soulmates are struck with their attentions on the same thing."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ryan asks, confused. The words made no sense to him.

"It means we both were mesmerized by the same thing when we saw color."

"Wait..." Ryan squints and looks to the table. "Are you saying you believe we are soulmates?" He didn't mean for it to come off as rude; It was supposed to be happy and excited. By the look on Rose face, she didn't catch the good tone and instead went with the bad. "No, I mean, it's amazing to think we are." He reaches across the table to grab her hand. In the moment his fingertips touch against her knuckles, the world flashes. Both Rose and Ryan look around the room to see if anyone else noticed it. When no one makes a different pose, their eyes return to each other.

"What was that about?" Rose wonders.

"I don't know..." His voice trails. When he glances back to Rose, he can see a different color emerging from her skin. He focuses deeply and can see the specks turning into blotches. Rose's focus has moved to Ryan's hair, seeing her focus as well. Finally, the color stops emerging.

"Do you see the new color?" She asks. Ryan nods. "It's in your hair."

"It's on your skin." Rose looks down on his arms and sees the new color splattered across her light white skin.

"This must be the skin condition I have." She finally puts together. "I am supposedly a dark skin with light skin chunks missing on my body."

"I like it." Ryan says without hesitation. "It looks beautiful, Rose." Seeing her smile made every cheesy line he said that much better. Seeing her white, with slight discoloration around the top, teeth, hearing her little short after her laughter subsides and seeing the way her smile lines crinkled by her eyes whe she couldnt control it. He knew he had something for Rose developing, but not this far.


	4. Chapter 4

Monochrome bullshit. That's what Ryan called it. Absolute mess of bullshit. Trevor was being tested to make sure he wasnt lying about not seeing colors through a colorblind test not even regular people could pass easily. He was getting nothing but gray with darker gray while Ryan was seeing mainly gray with specks of blues and yellows. It hurt his eyes to look at it. Maybe he wasn't seeing full colors at max for a reason. What if Rose was doubting him? What if it made the colors fade again? It made Ryan just feel sicker about himself. Maybe it was just the tests fault. Yeah, that's it. Ryan sat up more in his chair to try and relax. As soon as he did, Rose and Larry from the production office came through the door. Rose made eye contact with Ryan, allowing the man to smile before she shyly looked away. The dark thoughts started to return to his mind.

"Today is the day, everyone." Larry announces. "We are going to be filming the AH Musical. Now-"

"What is happening..." Ryan can hear Geoff whisper at his desk. He turns to the man and sees pure fear written on Geoff's face.

"You okay?" Ryan questions as Larry keeps talking. Geoff swallows harshly and shakily grabs his phone on the desk, dialing a number. Ryan can hear the tone keep ringing before a voicemail. Panic set into Geoff as he stood quickly from his chair.

"I have to go!" Geoff shouts as he runs out the door. Ryan furrowed his eyebrows and saw that Geoff was looking at a page completely normal to his everyday. Whatever he saw, no one else saw it.

-

Geoff came into the office late the next day. He was an absolute wreck and nearly unresponsive to anyone or anything. During a GTA V Let's Play, it was determined as to why he was the way he is.

"Geoff, you didn't dye your car pink." Jack points out to the man. "That's white." Geoff pauses and puts a hand over his mouth.

"I could have sworn it was pink..." He whispers. Ryan eyes his coworker and sees sadness fill his hollowed eyes. That's when it hit him.

"Geoff..." Geoff turns to his name. "You can't see color anymore, can you?" The question was more of a statement now. Without hesitation, Geoff broke down in his desk. The others had stopped recording as Ryan placed a heavy hand on Geoff's back. "What happened?" He asks lowly with concern.

"Griffon..." Geoff mutters through sobs. "She... She passed." The room was silent except for Geoff's heavy crying. "She got hit by a car while crossing down Main." He speaks up whe. His crying is more under control. "I only knew because my eyes were fading the colors away. Just like it had came ot had went; Specks and then nothing at all." The thought of everything made Ryan's heart sink. Why was Geoff at work? Did this mean he could never see colors again? The thought made Ryan fearful, but he knew his friend needed him in this moment. He couldn't have those selfish thoughts right now.

"We're here for you, Geoff." Jeremy chimes in lowly. Agreements spread in the small group before Geoff finally took deep breaths.

"I mean, I was thinking that I was going to lose the colors once she left me next month and the divorce was final but..." He trailed before tightening his jaw again. "Not like this." Ryan nodded in understanding, aware of the divorce Griffon had filed last month that was being settled.

"How's Millie?" Jack questions.

"She's with her grandma today, trying to cope with it." Geoff explains. "She is taking it well for now. I think yesterday is when she got the least hit with sorrow. It was more shock. Today she's in the process of realizing it. I guess I am, too." No one really knew what to say. All they could do was comfort their friend in any way he felt was needed. For the rest of the work day, everyone tried to act like everything was normal to try and help Geoff feel normal. Rose had met Ryan after work and listened to her alleged soulmate explain what he discovered today.

"Well shit..." She finally spoke at the end. "What a way to find out..." Ryan nodded in agreement. "How is he now?"

"Not great." Ryan replies. "Steady enough to be there for Millie, though." Rose sighed in relief. The poor family was probably all out of wack. As they stood in silence, Ryan couldn't help but realize something. "You know, whether we get together or not, when one of us dies the other will know."

"Its hard to find someone else to love when you know all they want is their soulmate." Rose mutters. The air was thick now. Ryan knew she was right. Maybe his last relationship didn't work for that reason; Maybe she wanted to find her colors. Thinking of it made the break-up easier, but not disappear. Ryan did love her when they were together. There was no doubt he thought he had found the one. She however did not feel the same. He could tell she was growing unhappy. He couldn't do anything to stop her. She was set on her determination to find her true soulmate.

"I loved someone without seeing color for two years." Ryan tells the girl. "She didn't care at first. Then her friends and family started questioning her being with me. So, she left."

"I'm sorry." Rose says simply. "I'm sure it was annoying and hard." There's a pause.

"What about you?"

"I thought I found someone back in High School." She admits. "Unfortunately, he found his soulmate through cheating. Didn't even bother trying to tell me about it." Ryan's heart felt heavy. Normally, he would comfort the person with a difficult love life or past, but this time he actually felt it. He felt the stab that cheating gave Rose's heart and how it made her cry for weeks straight. He felt how her barriers were rebuilt and her trust issues were made. Every moment she thought of her ex he could see.

"I'm so sorry, Rose." When she heard the sincerity in his voice, she spun her head to make eye contact. She acknowledged what she felt and embraced it. Ryan was still hung on the past because of it.

"So what are we going to do about this?" She asked. "Are we going to be together or are we going to see other people again?"

"Well knowing your soulmate and being with them are two different things. Then again, fate brings together the two in the end." There was still a lot for the two to learn about this soulmate business. They were really just winging it. Ryan twiddle his thumbs before reaching out his hand with the palm faced upwards. "Let's follow where this takes us." Rose nods and smiles wide, taking his hand gently.


	5. Five

"Well what was I supposed to do?" Alfredo argued loudly. "She needed my help!"

"Maybe not die?" Ryan suggests angrily. Alfredo had been the lead player in a Let's Watch and so far all of his choices had led to death. This frustrated everyone that happened to glance over and take a view, including Ryan, who was in charge of recording the video and audio. After a few frustrated words, the cameras and audio cut and are saved for editing. Ryan glances up at the clock and sees that it was almost time for lunch. On cue he hears the door open and reveal Rose.

"Were you ready?" She questions. Ryan smiles wide at the sight of her and nods. He quickly stands and grabs his items before running to meet her. He encases her hand with his while exiting the office. It has been a week since the two decided to try the soulmate process. Knowing that they were with their potential soulmate was strange. They knew the other was meant for them, but neither of them could accept it. Not that they didn't like or enjoy each other, it was just... different. Not knowing how long you were supposed to last with your significant other was part of a relationship. Knowing you are going to possibly last your whole lifetime together took most of the worry yet excitement away.

"Where to today?" Ryan asks Rose.

"I've been eyeing that new burger joint but I don't think they do to go orders."

"Why don't I take you there tonight then?" He quickly offers. When Rose looks at him awkwardly, he clears his throat. "I don't want you to think I am pushy or trying to move this faster because I'm not." He objects for his behavior. "I want you to feel comfortable with me enough to know that." Rose was quiet for a moment before giving a weak smile.

"Pick me up at seven?" She requests. Ryan feels himself perk up with his own grin.

"Of course!" Rose couldn't help giggling slightly at his excitement. "Now then, as for lunch..."Ryan quickly realizes the current problem at hand. "What about Tacos?" Rose gives a simple nod in return.

-

Ryan had done as asked and picked up Rose at seven. He had looked up the menu online beforehand to try and see if this place was even worth it. Apparently so did Rose, because she slid into the car with a printout of it.

"So I think the Bacon and Egg burger is pretty good sounding." She starts off as Ryan begins driving down the set path. "It has bacon and eggs, so breakfast, and burgers, dinner. It's perfect!"

"Is that the one that comes with a brioche bun?" Ryan wonders. Rose nods and hands him the printout at the red light. He glances over it before the green light forces him forward. "I think I'm gonna do the Deep Dipped Fish burger. I haven't had a good fish deep fried in a while. Also, it's on a burger." Rose nods in agreement as she scans over the drink part of the menu.

"They have mimosas!" She half-shouts excitedly. "I have never tried one but I heard they are great for going out and having fun without being excessively drunk." Ryan smiled at the glee she expressed over such a little thing. To her, it was a big thing that made her day. As he snuck a glance at her, he felt his heart skip and his face reddening. In the light of the vehicle's radio and the street lights, Rose was still stunning. She had features only prominent when shaded by the lack of lighting and colors in her eyes that speckled along the iris. Ryan had recognized the color as grey, seeing to as how it hasn't changed since he's met her. He had expected it to turn green or blue or even yellow like his own, but they were a light grey that was only in that area of the eye. Right now, it showed more than any other color on her. Once Ryan had pulled up to the restaurant called Burger Museum, he paused. Rose was about to exit the vehicle when she had noticed Ryan had not moved.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, worrisome.

"Y-yeah." He stutters out after a beat. "Hey, Rose?"

"Yeah?" Her voice was just as soft as always but yet different. He could hear the gentle tone even more now.

"I think I really like you." He admits. This time, Rose had matched her name in her cheeks as the red and pink color spread across her nose and forehead.

"I really think I like you, too." Ryan released a breath he was unaware he held. "Now come on, let's go eat." Ryan nods and exits the vehicle before grasping tightly to Rose's hand. Dinner had been like it always was on dates: Great and fun for the both of them. This time, though, the ending was different.

"Can I kiss you?" Ryan spits out unintentionally. He didn't mean to ask it so abrupt and sudden, but she was about to unlock her apartment door. Now was the better time. Rose looked dumbfounded, but nonetheless happy he asked. She didn't give a vocalized reply as she leaned up and pressed her lips gently against his. Her hand was slightly gripping his shirt for steadiness as she pulled back a bit. The air wasn't thick or awkward like most first kisses would be, but instead light and full of happiness.

"Goodnight, Ryan." Rose whispers to him. Ryan smiles lightly.

"Goodnight, Rose." He watches as she enters her apartment with a small grin on her face. Once the door closes, Ryan runs back towards his vehicle with a smile so big on his face he can't contain it. He finally kissed her. He's been waiting for that moment since the first day he saw color. Now, he knew, with every speck or piece of his body and soul, that Rose was something he wasn't ever wanting to lose.


	6. Six

Days turned into weeks quickly when you are stuck in a daze. Ryan could vouche for that feeling. Being around Rose made his time stop while in reality it was normal. He analyzed and memorized ever color of her. Her hair that recently changed from pink to green and blue, her eyes that reflected different shades of yellow and grey in the green when light hit them, the red and pink that would fill her face when he complimented her or she got embarrassed, and even the different complexion areas that defined her skin. It has been two months now since they had officially started dating. Everything was going well. They only argued a couple times, never seeming to go through the honeymoon phase. They have each stayed the night at each other's place at least once, and now they were talking about seeing each other outside of work even more. Their dates didn't usually cost money since they were outings in nature or at each other's homes. Being with his alleged soulmate was probably the easiest thing for Ryan at the moment. He was laid back and could relax around Rose just as she could him. She found herself burping and passing gas in front of Ryan and when she would get embarrassed, he would just shrug. It was human to do those things and they both agreed to it being normal. What wasn't normal, and they hadn't figured out yet, was why they saw both temperatures of color right away. Now that their worlds were completely filled with them, they had asked the unanswered question to each other multiple times.

"Maybe it was the group or people?" Ryan suggested as they cuddled together on the couch. "I mean, I feel I was focused on them." Rose shrugs and rests her head on his shoulder.

"It was so long ago I honestly don't know." She answers blantly. "I only know one thing for certain, though." Her head lifts to look straight at Ryan. A zap goes through his spine and sends his hairs up on end just like it did every time she looked at him so deeply. "I remember you meeting me just fine. Every detail and what was happening around us at that very moment. I remember the shirt you wore and how you had your hair slightly messy from running a hand through it. I remember how you were nervous about people mentioning a color and you having no clue what to do if they ask. I remember you." Her words made Ryan think back, but it didn't take long for him to recall everything as well.

"Well I remember how you were the most shy. You were also the shortest. I remember you wearing a Rolling Stones tee with black jeans that had a hole in the thigh. I know for a fact you were just as scared about color as I was by the way you looked at everything in the room before I spoke to you. You were hoping that one of us would start your soulmate sight." He pauses. "...And I honestly can't tell if you were happy it was me." Ryan stays silent as Rose positions herself upright.

"Ryan." She turns to look at him with her foot tucked under her and the other on the floor. "I am so fucking glad it was you." She let's out a small laugh. "Knowing all those other guys and seeing how they act with their wives and girlfriends... I wouldn't be able to stand that. They were so confident and lovey-dovey. I wanted someone who had no fucking clue what they were doing because I sure as hell didn't. I wanted someone who would tell me it's okay without ignoring the problem and trying to move on from it without fixing it first. I wanted someone who would love me unconditionally and could help me see a better part of myself while also remembering I still have some things I need to work on. I wanted you." There were tears brimming her eyes now and Ryan could feel the emotions Rose felt. She felt fear, happiness, anxiety. and hope all in one. Altogether, she felt love. "I love you, Ryan. I do." Jer smile was weak and shaking. "I didn't think soulmates would feel like... this!" She puts a hand on her chest and takes a shaky breath. "I didn't think I would feel like I needed to be with you every second of the day. I didn't think I would want to kiss you every time I saw your smile. I didn't think that being with you would be this easy..."

"I love you, too." Ryan says without thinking of hesitating. He loved Rose. He could feel it in his soul and that's why he was confident in what he felt. "I didn't expect it to be like this, either. After being with someone you weren't meant to be with... It's fucking confusing. The immediate connection, the need and want, the passionate feelings of helpfulness and selflessness... It is all so different and alien because it wasn't what I was used to." He sighs slightly. "If I'm honest with you, Rose, I am terrified now. I really don't want to lose this. Ever. If I lost you, I wouldn't be able to see my world in black and white anymore without wanting to hurt myself. I don't know how Geoff does it. Seeing color and then going straight to nothing again... What a world so full. I don't want to be like that again." There wasn't any hesitation as Rose pulled herself onto Ryan's side and kissed his cheek.

"I don't plan on going anywhere." She whispers. Ryan smiles gently down at her before pressing his lips to hers. The kiss sends another zap through him, but this time it's different. It was like he had an urge he needed to fulfill but couldn't. Rose lingered in the kiss, not pulling back either. Because of this, his body had pressed on, making another kissing movement to allow Rose to do the same. This was the urge; He had realized it was sexual. Rose still didn't pull back as she swung her legs over him to place herself on his hips. Ryan encased her in his hands and held her in place. It was a nice feeling to have her this way. Rose seemed to feel the same.

-

After that one night together, the two had finally fully connected. It was that one push they had needed to feel like they had nothing to fear anymore. Rose was now fully moved into Ryan's after now only three months of dating. The sight of how happy Rose was when she came into work every day made the colors Ryan saw more vivid; Yet, nothing was as bright as her. They lived each other. This time, the love wasn't built on a spot of chance. This love was meant to bloom. Ryan and Rose were known throughout the office and the fanbase now. It was known they were a couple and soulmates. While much of the fanbase was excited and all liked Rose, there were a few who were jealous. Surprisingly, it wasn't of just Rose. A lot were jealous of Ryan. Many had told him that he wasn't the type she needed. He was caring, but he had no idea how to care for her. One guy had commented on the relationship as faulty and a pipe dream. While many others had disagreed and said the two were perfect for each other, it still put Ryan at unease. He was already anxious about the relationship and thought that after a while those bright colors would dull for her. Every time he was with her, though, he couldn't think of that. She didn't let him. She loved him. Whether it was in the moment or not, Ryan was going to enjoy it. 


	7. Chapter 7

Monochrome bullshit. That's what Ryan called it. Absolute mess of bullshit. Trevor was being tested to make sure he wasn't lying about not seeing colors through a colorblind test not even regular people could pass easily. He was getting nothing but gray with darker gray while Ryan was seeing mainly gray with specks of blues and yellows. It hurt his eyes to look at it. Maybe he wasn't seeing full colors at max for a reason. What if Rose was doubting him? What if it made the colors fade again? It made Ryan just feel sicker about himself. Maybe it was just the tests fault. Yeah, that's it. Ryan sat up more in his chair to try and relax. As soon as he did, Rose and Larry from the production office came through the door. Rose made eye contact with Ryan, allowing the man to smile before she shyly looked away. The dark thoughts started to return to his mind.

"Today is the day, everyone." Larry announces. "We are going to be filming the AH Musical. Now-"

"What is happening..." Ryan can hear Geoff whisper at his desk. He turns to the man and sees pure fear written on Geoff's face.

"You okay?" Ryan questions as Larry keeps talking. Geoff swallows harshly and shakily grabs his phone on the desk, dialing a number. Ryan can hear the tone keep ringing before a voicemail. Panic set into Geoff as he stood quickly from his chair.

"I have to go!" Geoff shouts as he runs out the door. Ryan furrowed his eyebrows and saw that Geoff was looking at a page completely normal to his everyday. Whatever he saw, no one else saw it.

-

Geoff came into the office late the next day. He was an absolute wreck and nearly unresponsive to anyone or anything. During a GTA V Let's Play, it was determined as to why he was the way he is.

"Geoff, you didn't dye your car pink." Jack points out to the man. "That's white." Geoff pauses and puts a hand over his mouth.

"I could have sworn it was pink..." He whispers. Ryan eyes his coworker and sees sadness fill his hollowed eyes. That's when it hit him.

"Geoff..." Geoff turns to his name. "You can't see color anymore, can you?" The question was more of a statement now. Without hesitation, Geoff broke down in his desk. The others had stopped recording as Ryan placed a heavy hand on Geoff's back. "What happened?" He asks lowly with concern.

"Griffon..." Geoff mutters through sobs. "She... She passed." The room was silent except for Geoff's heavy crying. "She got hit by a car while crossing down Main." He speaks up when his crying is more under control. "I only knew because my eyes were fading the colors away. Just like it had came it had went; Specks and then nothing at all." The thought of everything made Ryan's heart sink. Why was Geoff at work? Did this mean he could never see colors again? The thought made Ryan fearful, but he knew his friend needed him in this moment. He couldn't have those selfish thoughts right now.

"We're here for you, Geoff." Jeremy chimes in lowly. Agreements spread in the small group before Geoff finally took deep breaths.

"I mean, I was thinking that I was going to lose the colors once she left me next month and the divorce was final but..." He trailed before tightening his jaw again. "Not like this." Ryan nodded in understanding, aware of the divorce Griffon had filed last month that was being settled.

"How's Millie?" Jack questions.

"She's with her grandma today, trying to cope with it." Geoff explains. "She is taking it well for now. I think yesterday is when she got the least hit with sorrow. It was more shock. Today she's in the process of realizing it. I guess I am, too." No one really knew what to say. All they could do was comfort their friend in any way he felt was needed.

"Honestly, what's scaring me the most is... Millie doesn't want to see color now." The room falls silent. "I keep telling her how great it is and she wants to believe me but it's hard to right now."

"Maybe she's wanting to deny it until she feels less remorse for it. Seeing you like this is probably hurting her more than you think." Jack mentions. While the others agree, Geoff couldn't help but feel the blame.

"I think I need a distraction right now. Please..." No one had ever seen this man so frail and helpless. So, they did what they had to do and help him. They all started up his favorite game and invited him to join, making him a bit happier. It obviously wasn't a cure, but it helped a lot. Sometimes getting your mind off things even for a sliver of a moment can change your whole perspective.

-

Rose had walked with Ryan to her car. She had heard about Griffon and everything Geoff went through. She couldn't help but commend Geoff for all his efforts to stay happy and peaceful while he could.

"You know," Ryan starts ,"he didn't have to come in. He didn't have to ask us to help him. I think that's the most trusting and loving he had ever been towards any of us."

"When my Mom was younger, there was a man she was crazy about." Rose stops by her car. "He was tall, handsome, and had a great personality. She had began to see colors with him. For a long time, she waited for him to say something about the colors first. Finally, she let it slip when she said his eyes were a beautiful green. He was confused and it scared her. They talked for a while and found out he never saw any colors at all." Ryan furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean he never saw them? He had to of." He questions.

"He didn't." She puts simply. "Not even a speck. Later on, my mom met my dad. Immediately, he saw color with her. It took her a moment, but she realized something. The colors she saw were never at their full potential. They were dimmed and slightly harder to see. With my dad, she saw vivid and bright neon colors perfectly. Everything was brighter."

"Are you saying that she tricked herself into thinking he was her soulmate?"

"Not exactly." Rose ponders to herself for a second before speaking again. "There's a large Myth that you can have two Soulmates. A best friend, and a lover. The best friend is someone who gives you dull colors with not much in them to explain other than bases. The lover gives you bright, lovely shades of all kinds." Ryan pauses and looks to Rose.

"And what do you see?" He was shy to ask, scared of the answer.

"Don't worry, I see bright ones." She laughs out. Ryan releases his held breath with a smile and light chuckle. Rose climbs into her car and smiles at Ryan when she rolls down the window. "I'll see you tomorrow." With a nod as a good-bye, Ryan goes towards his vehicle as she drives off.


End file.
